**Google Settles $1.375 Billion Texas Biometric Privacy Lawsuit**
Google has reached a $1.375 billion settlement with Texas over allegations that it unlawfully collected and used biometric data from millions of Texans without consent. The agreement, announced by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, marks the largest recovery nationwide against Google for data-privacy violations, surpassing a $391 million multistate settlement involving 40 states.
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, accused Google of violating Texas’ biometric privacy laws by harvesting facial and voice scans since at least 2015 to bolster its targeted advertising business. The state also alleged that Google tracked users’ locations and search activity—even in Chrome’s incognito mode—without proper disclosure.
Paxton’s office emphasized the settlement as a landmark enforcement action, reinforcing that tech companies are not exempt from legal accountability. Google, however, stated that the agreement resolves older claims tied to policies it has since updated, framing it as a closure of past disputes rather than an admission of wrongdoing.
The case follows Texas’ aggressive stance against tech giants, including a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta in 2024 over similar facial recognition violations. In January 2025, Paxton also sued Allstate and its subsidiary Arity for allegedly misusing driving data from over 45 million Americans.
Google cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/google
"id": "GOO1766053296",
"linkid": "google",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "1/2022",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Millions of Texans',
'industry': 'Technology',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Google',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Corporation'}],
'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': 'Millions',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (biometric data, '
'location, search '
'history)',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (biometric identifiers)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Biometric data',
'Location data',
'Search history']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2022',
'date_resolved': '2025',
'description': 'Google agreed to a $1.375 billion settlement with the state '
'of Texas over allegations that it collected and used '
'biometric data of millions of Texans without proper consent. '
'The lawsuit also accused Google of persistently tracking '
"users' location and searches, including in Chrome's incognito "
'mode.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Negative impact due to privacy '
'violations',
'data_compromised': 'Biometric data (face and voice scans), '
'location data, search history',
'financial_loss': '$1.375 billion settlement',
'identity_theft_risk': 'Increased risk due to biometric data '
'exposure',
'legal_liabilities': 'Violation of Texas biometric privacy act, '
'potential regulatory fines'},
'investigation_status': 'Resolved (settlement reached)',
'lessons_learned': 'Companies must obtain explicit consent before collecting '
'biometric data. Regulatory scrutiny on data privacy is '
'increasing, especially for large tech firms.',
'motivation': 'Financial gain (targeted advertising)',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': 'Product and procedure '
'changes, enhanced privacy '
'controls in services',
'root_causes': 'Failure to obtain proper consent '
'for biometric data collection, '
'persistent tracking of users '
'without transparency'},
'recommendations': 'Implement robust consent mechanisms for biometric data '
'collection, enhance privacy controls, and ensure '
'compliance with state and federal privacy laws.',
'references': [{'source': "Texas Attorney General's Office"},
{'source': 'BleepingComputer'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'fines_imposed': '$1.375 billion settlement',
'legal_actions': 'Lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney '
'General',
'regulations_violated': ['Texas Biometric Privacy '
'Act',
'Texas Deceptive Trade '
'Practices Act (TDPSA)']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public statement acknowledging '
'settlement and changes',
'containment_measures': 'Product and procedure changes '
'implemented',
'remediation_measures': 'Privacy controls enhanced in services'},
'title': 'Google Biometric Data Privacy Violation Settlement',
'type': 'Data Privacy Violation'}